Forearm Crutch Putter

ABSTRACT

A forearm crutch putter integrating the utility of a golf putter and a forearm crutch for senior golfers. The forearm rest and grip handle provide support for the user to walk with the present invention being used as a crutch, while the putting grip and putter provide functionality of the present invention as a club. A shock absorber is also present on the shaft of the invention to dissipate vibrations generated from hitting a golf ball.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for golf. Morespecifically, the present invention is a golf putter which also servesas a load bearing crutch. The objectives of this invention are to helpan elderly golfer's mobility around the putting green and to reduce thephysical stresses associated with playing golf.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Transportation is the key to keeping the elderly and handicapped golfplayers in the game of golf. However, it is a common problem that themain source of transportation for these aforementioned groups of people,“the golf cart”, cannot drive onto the putting greens. This forces theelderly and handicapped players to walk a considerable amount ofdistance. In this situation the golfers are unable to use an effectivemobility aid to help them on their walk because they must also carrytheir heavy golf equipment. This invention caters to this audience byproviding a portable device that ensures their safety as well asenhances their golf playing ability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a magnified view of the forearm rest of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a magnified view of the putter of the present invention.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

The forearm crutch putter is an invention which combines thefunctionality of both a crutch and a golf club. As shown in FIG. 1, thepresent invention comprises of a shaft 10, a putting grip 11, a shockabsorber 12, a forearm rest 20, a grip handle 30, and a putter 40. Theforearm rest 20 and the grip handle 30 are the main components of thecrutch system, and the putting grip 11 and putter 40 are the primarycomponents of the golf club. The shaft 10 is an integral component forboth of these systems and contributes to the functioning of the crutchand the golf club. The shaft 10 is the central component of theinvention, providing structural support for the entire embodiment, withall the other components attached to it.

In reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3, the shaft 10 is a cylinderthat is positioned longitudinally and vertical to the ground when theinvention is upright. Along the upper portions of the shaft 10 are aplurality of evenly spaced holes 13 which pass through the entirety ofits thickness. The shaft 10 is elongated and longer than otherconventional golf clubs because it also functions as a crutch, requiringit to support the upper limbs of the user whereas a golf club is held bythe hands below the waist. The shaft 10 is the medium through whichusers are able to translate their body motions into hitting a golf ballwith the club or supporting their weight on the ground with the crutch.In the current design, the shaft 10 is manufactured from steel. Thestrength of steel ensures that the weight of the user can be supportedwhile using the invention as a crutch, as well as enabling components tobe securely fastened to the shaft 10. Steel is also capable ofwithstanding the rigors of long term use, resisting bending anddeformation. An important attribute, as any deformation to the shaft 10would greatly diminish the invention's functionality as a load bearingcrutch and its effectiveness as a golf club. While the shaft 10 must bestrong enough to support the weight of the user, it must also belightweight. The weight of the shaft 10 must not inhibit the user'sability to swing the invention fluidly, or prevent the user from liftingit up while using it as a crutch. The invention is targeted towardssenior golfers, and it must be light enough for them to use theinvention to its fullest capacity. Steel offers a good medium betweenboth strength and weight, offering portability yet an assurance ofsupport and stability.

The forearm rest 20, detailed in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 is attachednear the top of the shaft 10. The forearm rest 20 comprises of a cuff21, a plurality of fasteners 22, and a plurality of support pieces 23.The cuff 21 is a hollow cylinder. In its standard position, the forearmrest 20 is oriented so that the flat top and bottom surfaces of the cuff21 are perpendicular to the shaft 10. This makes it so when users placetheir arms through the forearm rest 20, their arm is parallel to theshaft 10 and thus can grasp other components connected to lower sectionsof the shaft 10. On the front surface of the cuff 21 is a slit 24. Theslit 24 allows users to slide their arm in and out of the cuff 21,providing several different methods to enter and exit the cuff 21 byeither sliding their arm through the slit 24 or through the top. Theslit 24 is small enough to prevent an arm from mistakenly slipping out.To use the slit 24, one must consciously apply a force to the slit 24 sothat it slightly enlarges, providing a large enough area for the arm topass through. This is a precaution that limits the chance of injury whenusing the crutch. The design could incorporate alternative types ofcuffs for the forearm rest 20 which fulfill the same purposes. A fullyenclosed cuff or half cuff are conceivable, however, the current designof the cuff 21 with the slit 24 provides both flexibility and support.The support pieces 23 are attached near the top of the cuff 21 and onits back surface. The support pieces 23 are trapezoidal protrusionswhich are spaced wide enough apart to allow the shaft 10 to slide inbetween them. Each support piece 23 also has one hole of matchingdiameter to the plurality of holes 13. The plurality of holes 13 aredesigned to accommodate the plurality of fasteners 22. In the currentdesign, the fasteners 22 take the form of bolts.

The cuff 21 is attached to the shaft 10 with a plurality of fasteners 22which thread through the holes on the support pieces 23 and theplurality of holes 13 on the shaft 10. This securely fastens the cuff 21to the shaft 10 and restricts the motion of the forearm rest 20 exceptwhen rotating it up or down. This allows the user to rotate and adjustthe angle of the forearm rest 20 to find the most comfortableorientation. Additionally, the cuff 21 is mounted a distance away fromthe shaft 10, providing it room to rotate without contacting the shaft10. The plurality of holes 13 along the shaft 10 allows the user toadjust the height of the forearm cuff 20. Users are able to unscrew anddetach the cuff 21 and support pieces 23 from the shaft 10 and reattachit in the unused holes 13. This allows the user to move the forearm rest20 up or down the shaft 10. These features allow the forearm crutchputter to accommodate users of varying arm lengths, making itcustomizable depending on the user's physical needs.

The other major component of the crutch system is the grip handle 30.The grip handle 30 is attached to the shaft 10 approximately oneforearms length down from the forearm rest 20. It is also attached tothe shaft 10 at the top of the putting grip 11. The grip handle 30 is acylinder, and its orientation is such that it is perpendicular to theshaft 10. Unlike the forearm rest 20 it is permanently welded on to theshaft 10. Both the forearm rest 20 and the grip handle 30 extrudeoutwards in the same direction from the shaft 10, so that when theinvention is being held in a putting position, these components pointaway from the user's body and do not interfere with the putting motion.

One of the primary functions of the invention is as a crutch. To operatethe invention as a crutch, the user slides their arm into the forearmrest 20 and grasps the grip handle 30. Both of these components arevital to the functionality of the crutch as they both support differentparts of the upper extremities. The forearm rest 20 supports the user'supper forearms near the elbow, and the grip handle 30 supports the hand.By grasping the grip handle 30, the user is able to lift up theinvention and place it in front of them to support them as they walk,aiding in the general mobility of a senior golfer on the putting green.This crutch is designed to assist users during transitionary periodswhen going to and from the putting green. The invention is not designedfor prolonged durations of walking because the invention serves as asingle crutch for only one arm. As a result, the crutch can be held ineither arm, and its performance does not deteriorate in the hands ofeither a left or right handed user. Due to the presence of only onecrutch, it operates in a similar fashion to a cane. However, the forearmcrutch putter offers improved stability, and the reduction of lower-limbloading due to the two load transfer points at the forearm rest 20 andthe grip handle 30, whereas a cane only has one at the handle.Consequently, this allows the forearm crutch putter to withstand largerloads. It is therefore more effective than a cane or simply using a golfclub as a walking device.

In reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3, the putting grip 11 islocated directly below the grip handle 30 on the shaft 10. The puttinggrip 11 is a typical grip used on golf clubs, and its surface is groovedto provide a comfortable grip which provides maximum control whileputting. The putting grip 11 is large enough to accommodate theplacement of two hands along its surface. However, the design of theinvention does not require the user to hold the putting grip 11 with twohands when swinging. Users can use a combination of the putting grip 11and the perpendicularly oriented grip handle 30 to find the most stressfree grip and swinging motion. The positioning of the putting grip 11also allows for seamless transitions from the inventions use as a crutchto a golf club and vice versa. The proximity of the grip handle 30 andputting grip 11 provides optimum efficiency by allowing the user toquickly slide their hand between the grips.

In reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 5, the putter 40 is attached to thebottom of the steel shaft 10. The putter comprises of a club head 41 anda hosel 42. The shape and face of the club head 41 is consistent withconventional putters. The hosel 42 is a thin cylinder, and is attachedto the top surface of the club head 41 and is partially off center. Thehosel 42 acts as an extension of the shaft 10 and attaches the shaft 10to the top surface of the club head 41 at an angle. The angle created bythe intersection of the hosel 42 and club head 41 is known as the angleof connection 43. The forearm crutch putter is designed such that thethere is a reduced angle of the connection 43 between the hosel 42 andclub head 41 compared to conventional putters. The resulting angle ofconnection 43 makes the shaft 10 more perpendicular with the ground whenputting, compared to conventional putters which have a pronounced angleback to the user.

The pronounced angle of connection between the shaft and club head of aconventional putter forces the user to hit the ball by standing to theside of the ball and bending their back over the ball. The angledictates how far away the user must stand, as a result the reduced angleof connection 43 allows the user to stand closer to the ball giving theclub a more upright feel. The ability to stand closer to the ballminimizes the amount the user must bend their back when lining up andhitting a putt. As the invention is targeted towards senior golfers,many of whom suffer from some form of back pain, the reduced angle ofconnection 43 greatly reduces the amount of stress experienced by theuser when putting. The reduced angle of connection 43 also allows theuser to swing the invention like a pendulum, further reducing the strainon the users back. This design provides an improved and effective methodfor elderly golfers to swing the forearm crutch putter in a way thatreduces stress but still maintains high performance. The reduced angleof connection 43 also helps remove the possibility of interference thatthe forearm rest 20 might have on the user while putting. This allowsthe invention to fully function as both a crutch and a golf club withoutthe two systems hindering each other's performance.

The reduced angle of connection 43 is also crucial to the functioning ofthe forearm crutch putter as a crutch. The reduced angle of connection43 allows the user to put their weight on the invention with confidence,transferring their weight directly to the ground. If the angle ofconnection 43 was not reduced, the user would be transferring theirweight to the ground at a pronounced angle, this would increase thelikelihood of the shaft 10 slipping out from underneath the user.

Just above the putter on the shaft 10 is the shock absorber 12. Theshock absorber 12 is a thin band which is wrapped around the steel shaft10. By encompassing the entire circumference of the shaft 10, the shockabsorber 12 is positioned so that it is able to reduce the vibrationsgenerated from hitting the golf ball by dissipating energy, adding tothe comfort provided by the invention. The shock absorber 12 is alsoable to reduce the impact felt by the user at the forearm rest 20 andgrip handle 30 when using the invention as a crutch. Currently, theshock absorber 12 is manufactured from silicon, a light yet durablematerial. The shock absorber 12 has no notable impact on the weight ofthe club or in the balancing of the club head 30, leaving the swingingmotion of the club and portability unaffected. Alternative materialscould be used but they must be both light weight and effective atdissipating energy generated from impact.

Overall, despite the addition of various new components to aconventional putter, the invention still maintains a compact size,suitable to carry and transport in a standard golf bag. Its designcaters to seniors by being lightweight and reducing the stressesexperienced while putting and being on the golf course. While theinvention has been described in its preferred embodiment, it is to beunderstood that a variety of possible modifications can be made tofulfill the purposes of the invention. It is intended that the presentinvention cover all other embodiments that are within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

1. A forearm crutch putter comprises, a forearm rest; a grip handle; aputter; a shaft; a reduced angle of connection; the reduced angle ofconnection being formed by the shaft and the putter; and the forearmrest, the grip handle, and the putter being mounted to the shaft.
 2. Theforearm crutch putter as claimed in claim 1 comprises, the forearm restcomprises of a cuff, a plurality of fasteners, and a plurality ofsupport pieces; the forearm rest being positioned above the grip handleon the shaft; and the cuff being cylindrically shaped and hollow.
 3. Theforearm crutch putter as claimed in claim 1 comprises, the shaftcomprises of a shock absorber, a putting grip, and a plurality of holes;the shaft being cylindrically shaped; the plurality of holes beinglocated on the shaft near the forearm rest; and the shaft beingencompassed by the putting grip and the shock absorber.
 4. The forearmcrutch putter as claimed in claim 1 comprises, the putter comprises of aclub head and a hosel; the hosel being cylindrically shaped andextending from the shaft; the hosel being attached slightly angled ontop of the club head; the club head being below the shaft; and the clubhead and the shaft being connected by the hosel.
 5. The forearm crutchputter as claimed in claim 2 comprises, the cuff being attached to theshaft with the plurality of support pieces; and the plurality offasteners being thread through the support pieces and the plurality ofholes.
 6. The forearm crutch putter as claimed in claim 3 comprises, thegrip handle being attached perpendicularly to the shaft; and the griphandle being attached to the shaft just above the putting grip and belowthe forearm rest.
 7. The forearm crutch putter as claimed in claim 3comprises, the shock absorber being a thin band; and the shock absorberbeing attached above the putter on the shaft.